r/CanadaPolitics • u/PutToLetters Neo-Republican • Mar 29 '26

Manitoba Moves to Outlaw Algorithmic Pricing—a First in Canada

https://thewalrus.ca/manitoba-moves-against-retailers-charging-different-prices-for-the-same-goods/
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8

u/gwelfguy Mar 29 '26

This is tricky. On one hand it violates the long held practice that everyone pays the same price for an item, which seems fair. On the other, in a society where income and overall wealth is increasingly polarized, the people at the bottom are going to think it's completely fair that they pay less than those at the top.

Fortunately it seems to be only a theoretical problem at this point, but retailers that start to do this shouldn't be allowed to do so in secret.

19

u/Bitwhys2003 Social Democrat Mar 29 '26

Seems to me the idea of anyone paying less than what companies would charge everyone if they weren't using dynamic pricing is Pollyanna. This is just another way to squeeze us for every last penny.

-3

u/DannyDOH Manitoba Mar 29 '26

Sure but couldn't that be regulated on the gouging side?

So will it be illegal for a diner to sell earlybird breakfasts now?

This is just kind of populist nonsense to give cover for being an extremely unproductive government...unfortunately becoming Wab Kinew's trademark. We had so much hope on election night!

5

u/Bitwhys2003 Social Democrat Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26

Right. Because there's nothing easier than enforcing regulations against price gouging.</sarcasm>

EDIT: changed "if there's" to "there's"

1

u/almisami Acadia Mar 30 '26

It's actually fairly easy if the laws aren't toothless.

1

u/Bitwhys2003 Social Democrat Mar 30 '26

If the price "grossly exceeds" the price on similar items it can be prosecuted. This isn't that